What will eat Aiptasia that will fit in a nano?

[AttackDonut]

It's the 12 gallon nano cube, has a very small (and extremely shy) Mantis in it.

Live rock is over run with Aiptasia and it's ticking me off.

 

[Illuminati]

I would say a peppermint shrimp but they are hit or miss and the mantis might just find the peppermint a tasty snack.

Check out Dr. Foster & Smiths website and type in Joes Juice. It will bring up a product called Aiptasia Stop or something. Make sure you order the aplication syringe with it. Just fill the syringe with a little of the product and squirt it onto the "mouth" of the aiptasia. I use it and it works great. Reef safe but I'd do a little at a time, not sure if a bunch of it in a nano would hurt anything, I doubt it but you never know.

 

[Gundo5000]

I'd also try a peppermint. They're pretty cheap

 

[kase]

Joes Juice worked for me in the past.

 

[rockindacheeks]

a berghia nudi would work just make sure you take him out once all the aiptasia is gone or he will starve.

 

[Nano Nana]

You can also use boiling water squirted into the mouth. If it's only on one rock you could pull the rock and throw it in the boiling water provided you have plenty of other LR as the hot water will kill everything living on the rock.

 

[Flipsk8r]

I had this same problem one of my pieces of live rock was covered with Aiptasia and i got a peppermint shrimp and after about 3 days it was all gone.But i have also heard that shooting boiling water into the mouth will work pretty well.

 

[AttackDonut]

Okay, dumb post here on my part:

peppermint shrimp, not the same as camel shrimp right? The peppermints are more translucnet with redish stripes, yes?

 

[Illuminati]

Peppermints do have the stripes, camel shrimp (the ones I've seen) are always brighter red. Camel shrimp are also not reef safe. I had a friend that had them and they ate her hammer and started in on a torch I gave her.

Also with peppermints if there is not enought to eat they will turn on eachother and go canibal. You may have to supplement feedings with mysis or other frozen foods.

I'd try the boiling water trick. Never tried it but it's free. I'm sure you could get a syringe at a pharmacy (bigger gauge needle is better if possible). You may have to sweet talk the pharmasist into selling you one, don't walk in looking like a druggie and you should be fine

 

[fromtheocean]

home depot sells all plastic syringes all you do is cut off tip to desired size hole. HTH's

 

[reefworldaq]

I'm use copperband fish for aiptasia. but after all gone you must take it out, because he starve.

 

[lowbudget]

i did the hot water trick it works but not sure if it will come back.

 

[Mugglenut88]

Using chemicals and such would be difficult for large batches of Aiptasia. I also read that peppermints can be pre to other animals. I would suggest Aeolidiella stephanieae, [formally known as Berghia]. The slugs only reach about 1''. But it is likely once the Aiptasia population are gone they will starve. Price ranges from 10-30 dollars.

 

[AttackDonut]

I have 100+ aiptasia, so the syringe trick isn't worth it.

I have to admit, I've been neglecting the tank for many many months now, I tried to seel it, but no one wanted it, I have other hobbies and needed the money, so everything but the shrimp and the tank (and the live rock) had been sold off.

But I have this now, and trying to start it back up to something useful, or at least a little nicer for the shrimp, and it's been over run.

Thanks for the heads up on options, I'll try the shrimps 1st.

 

[mister crabs]

if you want to keep anything else in the tank besides the mantis then get rid of the mantis altogether.....mean little buggers tha will eat most anything else in the tank and are known to break glass on occasion....